Just Back

Quoted from DB

When the bus arrived at Harrogate too many players got off thinking all they had to do was turn up! One or two had a reasonable game and the rest failed to put in a shift. If one has an off day so beit but when half the team fail to play to their potential then you're in trouble and it showed.

When some of them get on the bus to come home I hope they look back and say to themselves 'I could have done better'.

As the season goes on, I'm starting to see some limitations in the abilities of one or two that have been starting most weeks. Hopefully PH finds two or three to improve the starting eleven or it's going to be another lower mid finish for us this season. We're not far away from being a decent side at this level, but I only see additions to the squad in making us more solid and consistent to push for a play off place. The squad as it stands can turn it on in the occasional game, but the same can be said for any mid to lower team at this level.. Our players are trying, but I think some fans' expectations of performance are greater than the ability of the current squad on a regular basis..

Quoted from Rodley Mariner

I thought we were the better team for most of it which is why losing was so frustrating. Should have killed it at 2-1, didn't and paid the price for individual mistakes. Said with 5 minutes left that it had all the hallmarks of three subs waiting to come on in the 90th minute when we fell behind but wasn't even time for that.

Think we'll finish between 10th and 18th dependent on January. Not good enough for the play offs but don't have any concerns about getting dragged in at the bottom end either.

Surely, at 2-1, you use one of your subs and put on someone who keeps the ball better than Khan or Holohan?

Quoted from MuddyWaters

Surely, at 2-1, you use one of your subs and put on someone who keeps the ball better than Khan or Holohan?

I'm not sure that Holohan is so much better than Hunt that he plays all of the minutes in midfield and Hunt doesn't even get a sniff of the action..

Quoted from Bigdog

Think we lack pace around the team, left back, maybe Glennon returning we improve, centre half, Smith is the answer, possibly for Waterfall, centre mid, more athleticism, possibly for Holohan, and the threat of pace up front, and Taylor isn't the answer..

A change of personnel in two or three starting positions will help massively. We've got a mid-table squad base, but need additional pace and power. We've got a squad full of footballers but that's only going to take us so far. We have zero threat of pace apart from maybe from right back and that's not nearly enough and even though we've got a team of footballers, they're not quite good enough to take a firm grip on games like the one today or at Hartlepool, Barrow, Wimbledon etc..

And.. we're still guilty of ball watching in our own box..

Waterfall won’t be dropped but it doesn’t seem to be working with him Maher and Efete and Amos. Smith & Glennon need to come back in.

I don’t think we’re short of athleticism in mid field we’re just short of quality Hunt or Morris in ahead of Holohan for me.

Quoted from HertsGTFC

Waterfall won’t be dropped but it doesn’t seem to be working with him Maher and Efete and Amos. Smith & Glennon need to come back in.

I don’t think we’re short of athleticism in mid field we’re just short of quality Hunt or Morris in ahead of Holohan for me.

The greatest potential we have in a centre back pairing is Smith and Maher, but I agree, he won't drop Waterfall.

And yes, if we can retain possession in midfield more it would help and be sharper with our passing. Would like to see Hunt get a run of games, not so much a fan of Morris..

If I was looking to improve us over a period of time.. I'd be looking at Waterfall, Amos, Khan, Morris and Holohan as able deputy squad members rather than in the starting eleven. The future is Crocombe, Maher, Smith (if we can keep him), Glennon, Efete, Green, Clifton and Hunt with a refresh out wide and up front..

Quoted from Bigdog

The greatest potential we have in a centre back pairing is Smith and Maher, but I agree, he won't drop Waterfall.

And yes, if we can retain possession in midfield more it would help and be sharper with our passing. Would like to see Hunt get a run of games, not so much a fan of Morris..

If I was looking to improve us.. I'd be looking at Waterfall, Amos, Khan, Morris and Holohan as able deputy squad members rather than in the starting eleven. The future is Crocombe, Maher, Smith (if we can keep him), Glennon, Efete, Green, Clifton and Hunt with a refresh out wide and up front..

I wouldn’t disagree with any of that to be honest.

Don't think it's fair to be criticising our CB pairing when their first two goals owed a lot to poor decisions by full backs. Similarly, Khan was one of the few players able to run at defenders and get crosses in. It's not his fault that McAtee is on his own up front or that Clifton and Holohan were struggling against a combative  Harrogate midfield.

Tinkering with CB's won't distract from the fact that too many of our squad are worthy triers, like Efete, who can do good things one moment and then make basic errors.

Can't agree that we were the best team for the bulk of the game. We never seem that comfortable, we had no answer to Armstrong and failed to deal with a bouncing ball too often.

Folarin pulled our defence apart too often for comfort.

Having watched the game from the Black sheep terrace I was close up to second half defensive play, especially.
I don’t think I’d criticise any individuals - everyone had some really good moments, but both teams were incredibly open, especially with the wing backs pushed way up the pitch leaving huge gaps. It was a pretty even game I thought although I think we shaded it without capitalising and it was definitely there for the winning, rather like a Hartlepool away. I was disappointed with the use of subs and feel it contributed. Green was absolutely out on his feet before their two late goals and I felt it was costly not to replace him. I though Maher and Amos (who both had good games if you forgive the skinning for the first goal)  also tired and could’ve been swapped to keep us livelier and sharper and I do feel not doing that cost us.

My only observation of watching online having binge watched the World Cup is that league 2 is like a different sport to international football! Forgotten how bad it was. Exciting enough game and we have probably done enough to stay up already but other than the fa cup there isn’t much to look forward to this season. Always next year….

I'm sorry and shoot me if you want, but PH cist us as much as the defence today.
2-2 on 70 minutes, could see Khan, Macatee, Holohan were just about on their legs, yet PH waits until the 81st minute to make a change and, for some odd reason, took off Kiernan who was still running for fun and put Orsi on!..and I'm sick of seeing teams just bulldoze though our midfield without a challenge going in.
With Smith (only hearsay at the moment) getting called back to Hull in January we have to stick with Maher and Waterfall as our centre halves, but do think the midfield needs a refresh now, to at least get some control in the game and attempt to dictate play a bit more.